


Five Times Ignis Scientia was Completely Oblivious to his own Appeal

by Antiloquist



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluffy Ending, Guest starring Gladio as both Ultimate Wingman and Voice of Reason, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Multi, Oblivious Ignis, Reader's gender is not specified, Reader-Insert, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 01:43:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12025464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antiloquist/pseuds/Antiloquist
Summary: (and the moment he finally got the hint)You're a receptionist who happens to have a bit of a crush on none other than the royal advisor himself.He has no idea.





	Five Times Ignis Scientia was Completely Oblivious to his own Appeal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Recibae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recibae/gifts), [Taciturn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taciturn/gifts).



> Blame my dearest Recibae/Thirdstreetcettin for this. I can't get enough of awkward Iggy.

I

It was the middle of a Tuesday afternoon and you were trying to fight off the 3 PM slump when the most gorgeous man you had ever seen walked into your lobby. He was tall and lean, with spiked hair and piercing green eyes hidden by a pair of glasses. His business casual outfit fit him perfectly, and he walked with the grace of someone far more important than you.

He made a beeline straight for you. _Oh no…_

“Excuse me?” he asked politely. Astrals, even his _voice_ was beautiful. You couldn’t quite place the accent, but the way his words rolled off his lips was perfect.

A moment of awkward silence had passed before you realized you were supposed to answer him. “U-Uh, hello! How can I help you today, sir?” Smooth, real smooth.

“Ah, I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a certain room. I’ve a meeting here today, and I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the layout.”

He took a step forward and handed you a piece of paper with a room number and some names on it. You tried not to jump when your skin brushed up against his. He was wearing leather gloves and for some reason that was really attractive to you.

You stared at the note, trying to make the words make sense to you.

“Y-Yes, the room you’re looking for is-” You glanced up at him and only realized what a big mistake that was when you met his eyes. They were such a deep, clear green… You tore your gaze away and pretended your desk was the most important thing in the world. “It’s… uh… 5th floor, take a left. Third door to the end.”

“Thank you,” he said, waiting for you to glance back up before doing a mini bow in appreciation. The smile he gave you nearly made your heart stop.

It took a moment for your brain to form words, and by then he was already turning to go. “H-have a nice day, sir!” you called after him.

He waved his hand in acknowledgement and disappeared down the hall towards the elevator.

You, on the other hand, hid your face in your arms, ashamed of yourself. What was this, high school? This was a real world work setting; there was no time to get all nervous around people you’d just met! You'd probably never see him again, anyway, so what was the point of wallowing?

Work; you needed to work. Trying to push the mysterious man out of your mind, you turned to your work emails. The inbox could use some cleaning out, you thought.

You were in the middle of comparing your coworkers’ schedules for a meeting when you heard someone clear their throat in front of you. Looking up, you saw the man from earlier. Your stomach flipped; it should have been a crime to be as pretty as he was.

“O-oh, hello,” you greeted eloquently. “How was the meeting?”

“Everything went fine, thank you. I just wanted to thank you again for your help earlier… half the buildings here in the Crown City seem like they're built like labyrinths, don't they?”

It took you a moment to realize that he probably meant for you to say something back. “O-oh, uh, yeah. I kept getting lost here when I started...”

The man smiled at you, and your heart stuttered. “All the more reason I appreciate your assistance.”

“It's no problem, Mr…” Crap, you didn't know his name! Now you were just going to look stupid. You refused to look him in the eye, you were so nervous.

“Scientia,” he said quietly. “Ignis Scientia. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

He extended a hand to you, which you shakily took. His grip was firm and warm and part of you didn't want to let go of his hand. You sent that part of you to timeout.

You gave your name in return, and the way it fell from his mouth as he repeated it for courtesy’s sake nearly made you swoon.

“I, uh… I hope you have a nice day, Mr. Scientia,” you said, still staring at your desk. You knew it was rude to not look a guest in the eye, but you just… couldn't.

“You as well,” he said, turning to go.

***

  
Ignis frowned as he passed through the double doors and out into the streets of Insomnia.

Surely he wasn't _that_ intimidating, was he? He knew he had come a long way in perfecting his sternness, especially when it came to dealing with Noct, but…

That poor receptionist… Too afraid to say more than two words to him or even look him in the eye; Ignis felt guilty.

He would have to make it up the next time he went there, perhaps by being more polite.

~

II

That wasn't the last you saw of Ignis Scientia. The meetings he was attending were for his charge, none other than the crown prince of Lucis himself, Noctis Lucis Caelum. Apparently he didn't want to go so he just sent Ignis in his place. The thought made you laugh, honestly. From what you had heard of the prince, apparently he wanted to do things like any other teenage boy. You could understand that, you supposed; you didn't think you could handle the pressure a royal life would put on you.

As the weeks passed, you slowly learned how to say more than three words to Ignis without turning into a nervous mess. He made for a good conversational partner, actually; he listened to what you were saying without making it look like it was a chore. Getting to see him a few times every week was definitely the highlight of your job.

You'd never tell him that, though. He was the prince’s royal advisor, for the love of the Six! You were just a secretary… you two were so mismatched that the thought of it almost made you laugh out loud.

Unlikely as it was, it didn't stop you from enjoying his company whenever he stopped by. Though it was true he held the air of someone far above you in society, he never treated you like you were beneath him.

From what you had seen, he didn't treat anyone like they were beneath him. No matter how busy he was (which seemed to be very busy, all the time), he seemed to at least have time for a hello to everyone he spoke to. You liked that about him.

You liked a lot of things about him, but especially that.

You heard the automatic double doors opening and glanced up to see who it was; speak of the daemon, and the daemon shall appear. Standing in the lobby was none other than Ignis. He was looking especially good today, with a striped button up shirt and dark slacks held up by suspenders. On anyone else, you supposed it would have looked ridiculous, but on Ignis, it was a perfect look.

He smiled at you. “Good afternoon,” he greeted.

“Hello, Mr. Scientia,” you said, beaming back. In contrast to the happy act you put on for the majority of the day, this was a genuine smile. “You're here later than usual.”

Ignis frowned. “Yes. Nasty accident on the main street, blocked the whole way over here. My meeting was postponed a few hours.”

“Yeah, heard some people talking about it this morning,” you said. “I'm glad I don't drive here.” Confident you'd given Ignis enough eye contact to be polite, you returned your gaze to your desk; if you looked at him for too long you'd start stammering.

“Mm, yes, it was quite the hassle. Fortunately, driving gives me time to think, so I don't really mind.”

You nodded. “Walking does the same for me. I'm glad you were able to make it, though. It's always good to see you!”

Wait, was that too much? Were you being too forward?

“Come now, I'm nothing special,” Ignis protested, but the faint flush on his cheeks told you he appreciated the compliment.

(At least, you _hoped_ he appreciated it.)

“You talk to me like I'm a person,” you said. “That's more than a lot of people do. O-of course I look forward to seeing you.” It wasn't a lie; that was _one_ of the reasons you liked seeing him. … You just weren't going to tell him about the others.

Ignis adjusted his glasses, sliding them up the bridge of his nose. “I was raised to treat everyone with courtesy. Your position is irrelevant to that. One has to _earn_ my disrespect.” He smirked softly at that, and you blushed at the sight. Truly, he seemed like someone who could rip others apart with his words alone, and you thanked the Six you were on his good side.

“Remind me never to make you angry…” you muttered, breaking eye contact with him to shuffle some papers around your desk.

That got a genuine chuckle out of Ignis, and your stomach flipped at how pleasant the sound was to your ears. “Indeed. Now,” he said, looking at the clock on the wall behind you, “I must be going. I assume you'll be here when I leave?”

“Where else would I be?” you asked.

Another chuckle. “A good point.”

After bidding you farewell, he started down the hall to his usual elevator. You waited until he was out of sight before you let out a breath.

That… that had probably been the longest conversation you had ever had with Ignis. And you had only stuttered once! You felt a little more confident.

You looked at the clock to see that by the time Ignis was going to get out of his meeting, it would nearly by time for you to go home. Maybe… you could see if he wanted to go somewhere with you after work?

What was the most non-offensive, least date-seeming place you could think of? Coffee shop? That could work; you didn't think you'd ever seen Ignis without some sort of caffeine in his hands. It was worth a shot. After all, the worst he could say was no, right?

… Right?

The minutes ticked by as you did little tasks to keep yourself busy. Slowly, the minute hand ticked up to the next hour. Any moment now…

Ah, there he was. It was almost like clockwork how impeccable his timing was. The work day had just ended, and your coworkers were filtering out around you. You raised a hand to wave at someone who shouted goodbye at you as you took a deep breath.

“How was the meeting, Mr. Scientia?” you asked as he passed by.

“Same as they always are,” he answered, not missing a beat. “Are you going home now?”

You nodded. “Yeah. About time, am I right?” Come on, you could do this… All you had to do was open your mouth and ask.

Ignis chuckled. “Indeed. Today has been rather… tedious.” He punctuated his statement with a sip of the coffee can in his hand. A quick glance told you that Ebony was his brand of choice; good to know for later, perhaps.

“You're telling me.” You tapped your fingers on your desk, trying to will yourself to meet his gaze and _just get out with it already_ before he left. “Uh, so I was wondering?”

“Hm?” he asked, tone casual but not detached. You were envious; he had these day to day niceties down to an exact science.

You finally looked up at him to notice you had his full and undivided attention. Your stomach churned nervously. “W-well, I'm off work, and you're off work…” Under his gaze, you could feel your confidence faltering, though it was no fault of his. “I was just wondering if you wanted to go grab some coffee?”

“Oh, I couldn't possibly take up your time like that,” he replied smoothly. You swore you could feel your heart plummeting through your stomach. “You're busy just as I am. Besides,” he held up his can of Ebony, “I am already sufficiently caffeinated.”

Wow, that hurt. At least he hadn't gotten angry. Or even worse; laughed at you. “Oh. Uh, yeah no that's fine, I understand. Ah, forget I asked, Mr. Scientia. I'm sorry.”

“Ignis, please,” he said. “There's no need for such formalities after working hours have concluded. And there's nothing to be sorry for. We both have our own busy schedules, yes?”

Did he… not realize what you were implying? He hadn't specified anything about not being interested, though you supposed he could have been one of the types to put off a rejection to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

You tested the waters. “Some… other time, then?” you asked nervously.

“Certainly, if I am able to find the time,” he said, glancing at the clock once more. “Speaking of, I must be going. His Highness gets rather… restless when he hasn't eaten.” Though his words were blunt, his soft tone betrayed the fact that he cared greatly for the crown prince.

A glimmer of hope; maybe there was a tiny chance after all. “You should get going, then,” you replied, laughing softly at the mental image of the crown prince practically clawing at the walls waiting for Ignis to cook dinner or something. “See you next week, Mr. Sc- er, Ignis!”

~

III

And see him you did, in a way you really weren't expecting.

It was the middle of the day, and you wandered the streets of downtown Insomnia, trying to figure out what the hell you wanted for your lunch hour. You'd had a decent breakfast, so you weren't exactly starving. Noodles? No, you'd had noodles yesterday. Burger? No, too greasy; you had to be in the right mood for something like that.

You were so lost in deliberation, actually, that you ran right into someone.

“Oh, I'm sorry!” you exclaimed. “I wasn't looking where I was-” You looked up to see that the person you bumped into was none other than- “I-Ignis!”

Ignis smiled at you. “Hello there,” he greeted, tone even and warm. You felt some tension you didn't even realize you were holding relax a little. At least he was still friendly, even though he turned you down.

Although, the way he was acting was almost as if nothing had changed. You returned to your theory from the previous week; did he… not realize you had tried to ask him out? Or, was turning people down such a common occurrence for him that he didn't let it change how he interacted with people?

“Lunch break too?” you asked, falling into step beside him. Sure, you had been going the other direction, but you'd had no destination in mind when you'd run right into Ignis.

(You hoped he wouldn't notice your change in direction.)

“Insofar as I can have a break, yes,” he replied. “It is nice to get out and walk around some. A shame I can't do it more often.”

You nodded. “Yeah, I'm glad it's nice out today. Little cold, though…” You looked up at Ignis and noticed he looked a little more tired than usual. “Are you okay?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow. “I'm alright. Your concern is most appreciated, however,” he said with a smile that brought a blush to your cheeks. Did this man know how infuriatingly charming he was?

“You sure?” you asked, frowning.

“Well, I suppose I've been busier than usual as of late. There are many arrangements that need to be made in the wake of the royal engagement.”

That was right, you'd seen it on the news; The crown prince was to marry Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae in a few months’ time. It made sense that the prince’s advisor would be up to his ears in work as a result, but you still felt bad for him. He was just one human being, after all.

“Oh yeah, I heard. Guess you would have a lot to do, huh?”

“Yes, not to mention that due to circumstances out of my control, I was running late this morning and thus unable to acquire my usual can of Ebony.”

Come to think of it, he was indeed without a caffeinated beverage in his hand; a true first sight for you, if you were being honest. “Yikes,” you said. “Dunno what I’d do without my morning coffee.”

Ignis slid his glasses up the bridge of his nose, perhaps trying to hide the telltale dark circles of sleep deprivation. “Persevere, most likely. You hardly seem the type to let a small mishap ruin your day.”

That was a compliment that came entirely out of left field. “Uh, t-thank you,” you stammered; he seemed to have a lot more confidence in you than you had in yourself. “That's very nice of you to say.”

“I mean it,” he replied. “Despite my profession I'm hardly the sort of person to rattle off nonsense I don't mean.”

You thought for a moment; you supposed there must have been a lot of that kind of thing when it came to being a royal advisor. “I guess it's a lot of work, huh?” you asked, not really knowing what else to say. This man had a penchant for leaving you tongue tied.

“More than you can imagine,” he said. “But… it's worth every second.” He stopped short. “Ah, here we are.” You looked up to see that you had arrived at a coffee shop; you'd passed by this particular one a few times, but it was definitely too pricy for your liking.

“Oh, uh…” you tried to say something, but no words would come out.

Ignis checked the time on his phone. “I've a while yet before I must return to work. How about that coffee?”

You blinked at him. Was he… asking you to coffee? The heat rushed to your cheeks. “Sounds nice,” you said. “Let's do it.”

“After you,” he replied, holding the door to the coffee shop open for you. Your heart skipped a beat; of course he'd hold the door open for you. This man was truly something else…

“Thank you,” you murmured, not quite trusting yourself to not say anything else. The place was quiet, but cozy. The decor was primarily a mix of wood and marble, one somehow not managing to overwhelm the other. There was even a small fountain in the corner, probably where some patrons would leave their tips. Soft classical music played over the speakers and the entire place smelled faintly of coffee beans. Very classy, very Ignis.

One look at the menu had you mourning for your wallet. This place must have been at least three times as expensive as your usual haunt. It wasn't as if you couldn't get anything on the menu, but you certainly felt reluctant to hand over the required currency for such a paltry amount of coffee.

“See anything that's to your tastes?” Ignis asked, taking his place in line beside you. You bit your tongue before you could say something stupid like _‘you, of course’._

“I, uh, wow, that's a lot of numbers,” you said, more to yourself than to your companion.

Ignis thought for a moment. “My treat,” he told you.

You could hardly believe what you were hearing. Did this mean that this was… a _date_?

“R-really?” you choked out.

“But of course,” Ignis said smoothly, as if offering to buy someone an expensive coffee were an everyday occurrence. “I'm glad for the company. Often times my breaks are spent alone, so it's fortunate I ran into you.”

There was a barely audible puff of air as you visibly deflated at his statement. Ignis, however, was none the wiser. He had turned his attention to the drink menu.

“Well, I'm glad you at least don't mind having me around?” you asked, trying to gauge _something_ about how he classified this encounter.

“Not at all,” he said. “You make for very good conversation.”

‘That's _it_?’ you thought. Surely he wasn't this cruel as to string along a person who was obviously interested in him, right? He truly, genuinely seemed too nice for that. Or maybe you were just that dumb?

Either way, he hadn't told you to leave him alone yet, so you were going to go with it until he did.

You ordered the cheapest drink on the menu that didn't make your stomach turn with the ingredients. Ignis’s order was lost on you, but it sounded highly caffeinated. Honestly, you wouldn't be surprised if he poured an Ebony in there on top; the man seemed to love his caffeine.

After receiving your drinks, the two of you claimed a table by the window and enjoyed a few minutes of quiet. Surprisingly, sitting in silence with Ignis wasn't as awkward as you were expecting it to be, though you still wanted to talk to him.

“So, uh, you come here often?” you asked, realizing all too late that it sounded like a crappy pickup line.

“Not as often as I'd like,” Ignis replied, the unintentional double meaning of your question seemingly lost on him. (Internally, you breathed a sigh of relief.) “Nothing beats an Ebony after a long day, but this place has an atmosphere I quite like.”

You nodded. “It's very… you,” you stated, not sure of what else to say. It took you a few seconds to realize maybe that was a little too vague of a statement.

As you expected, Ignis raised an eyebrow at you. “And what do you mean by that, pray tell?” At least he seemed more curious than offended.

“It's refined!” you exclaimed quickly, maybe too quickly. “This is definitely a classy place.”

Ignis’s lips quirked up in a half-smile; you tried not to think about how soft they looked. “That's what you think of me?” he asked.

You looked away, blushing profusely. “It's a good thing,” you said. “I think you're…” Gorgeous? Elegant? Enticing? Attractive? “... pretty cool.”

“Thank you,” Ignis replied, chuckling softly; Gods, you loved how his laugh sounded. “Though I must admit there really isn't all that much more to me than what you see.”

“That's okay,” you said, tilting your head at him while taking a sip of your drink. “Not everyone needs to be stupidly complicated.”

Ignis didn't reply to you, electing to shoot you a warm smile instead, one that had your heart fluttering. At this point, you could say you were crushing pretty hard. He probably knew, too. At least he hasn't said anything yet.

Though he himself had said he wasn't too complicated, you still wanted to know more about him. “What do you do in your free time?” you asked, drumming your fingers on the sides of your coffee cup.

“Free time? What’s that?” he shot back, smirking.

It took you half a second to realize he was joking. “No kidding,” you replied. “Always too busy around here.”

“Indeed.” He thought for a moment. “Usually, I relax whenever His Highness forces me to. I've been on many… ‘adventures’ as a result.”

“You? Sneaking out and causing mayhem?” you asked, grinning at him.

Ignis sighed, running a hand through his gelled-up hair. “Usually, it’s me making sure His Highness and his friend don't break anything… or total the car.”

Ah, so he played the voice of reason; fitting, really, for someone like Ignis. “Royal advisor or royal babysitter?” You wondered if you'd taken the joke too far; you had nothing but respect for your crown prince, but you had heard he had a penchant for (harmless, thank the Six) trouble.

“Sometimes I feel like a bit of both,” Ignis admitted. “But someone has to do it.” He smiled then, and once more you could feel the genuine care he held for the prince behind his words.

“You're dedicated,” you said. “That's a good thing.”

Ignis smiled at you, and you forced yourself to hold eye contact despite the nervousness that worked its way into your stomach. “I'd like to think so.” He tapped his chin in thought. “I suppose when I'm not working, I’m attempting to better myself in the culinary arts.”

You weren't even surprised; he seemed like the type to cook. But honestly, what couldn't this man do? “Tell me more,” you said.

“It's something I've been doing for years. Unfortunately, due to His Highness’s… _limited_ palette, I'm limited to a few staple dishes.”

“Still, it’s good you know how to cook for yourself.” You thought of some of the guys you had gotten to know over the years; some were utterly hopeless when it came to fending for themselves. “It's a good skill to have at…” You studied his face closely for a second. “Twenty-six?”

Ignis chuckled. “Twenty-one.”

“No way.” He was younger than you'd thought, closer to your age; you felt a little better about this whole silly crush thing.

“For lack of a better word, ‘yes way’... though I turn twenty-two quite soon.”

You drummed your fingers on the tabletop, feeling an idea brewing in your mind. “How soon is soon?” you asked, trying to sound decently nonchalant.

“The 7th. I've no doubt His Highness has some sort of activity planned for me. He's been rather dodgy when it comes to questions of the sort, and he and his friends are horrible liars.” A thin smile worked it's way up his face. “I can only hope said celebration is more… civilized than last year.”

“How so?” you asked, draining the last of your drink. You would have to go back to work soon, but you were enjoying the presence of the man across from you far too much to let it end so early.

Ignis sighed, and the grimace that crossed his features made it evident that some sort of story worth telling had occurred a year prior. “I've never been one for crowded bars and the like. Large amounts of loud people are not to my liking. Let’s just… leave it at that, shall we?”

“Uh, sure, no problem,” you said. Ignis finished his drink in turn and rose from his seat. You followed after him nervously. “I totally get it though. I don't like noisy places either…”

“It seems a quiet place with like company is sorely underrated these days,” Ignis remarked, holding the door open for you once more as you left.

You made small talk with Ignis as you walked down the street back to the business district. Or rather, you did most of the talking, while Ignis listened with undivided attention. Either he was very good at feigning interest, or he genuinely seemed to care about what you had to say. You honestly hoped it was the latter.

All too soon, you came to where your paths diverged.

“Hey, uh… thanks,” you said. “This was… nice.” Whatever _this_ was, anyway.

Ignis nodded. “Indeed. It is important to keep up good working relationships with those around you. I believe this outing was good for me.”

That… that was it? You honestly weren't surprised at this point, but you couldn't help the small part of you that was disappointed to hear him relegate this experience to a simple ‘outing’. It may have been foolish, selfish, idiotic, but… you wanted more.

Not that you'd ever admit it to him; not for a million years.

“Yeah, I'm glad I ran into you,” you said, unable to completely hide the strained quality to your voice. Ignis frowned minutely, but didn't say anything. “I guess you gotta get back now though, huh?”

“No rest for the weary,” Ignis replied softly. “I shall see you at a later date, I assume?”

You nodded, kicking yourself for your own enthusiasm. “Of course! Feel free to drop by just to say hi, i-if you want to!” You regretted the words the second they left your mouth. Smooth, real smooth.

Instead of denying you though, Ignis simply smiled. “If I am able to find the time, I might just take you up on that.” He checked his watch, and you noticed his eyes widen just a fraction at what he saw. “But I really must be going.”

You bid him farewell as you turned towards your own workplace.

The 7th, hm? You had some planning of your own to do…

~

IV

You'd gone to at least four stores trying to find something that seemed good enough for someone like Ignis. He was the type for whom money was not an issue, so you supposed he could have just about anything he wanted. That… made gift shopping more difficult.

After a lot of deliberation and one existential crisis, you'd settled on a cookbook dedicated to stealthily making healthy dishes for a picky eater. It specialized in how to balance tastes and how best to hide vegetables in any meal and the like. For all you knew, he could have already owned it, but he'd appreciate the gesture at least.

Well, at least you hoped he would.

Were you two even at the point where it was acceptable to give gifts, or was this way too forward? You didn't know, but you weren't about to let the 7th pass with nothing to show for it.

You must have wrapped and rewrapped the book at least three times before you deemed the presentation nice enough for a gift. Now, with the 7th upon you, your only task was to… give it to him.

Gods, this was such a simple task; why did it make you so nervous?

(You knew why.)

The fact that you had no idea where exactly his office was didn't help things any. You knew it was in the main part of the Citadel, and you'd seen him walking towards its general direction; other than that, you were at a loss. Part of you considered asking someone for directions, but what if they wanted to know why you needed them? What if your reason wasn't good enough to let you into the Citadel?

The front door was right there… you could just check in with the receptionist and see where that got you. But, oh no… what if they paged Ignis straight to you? You were just sort of hoping to leave the gift and go. Would he even _be_ _here_ on his birthday? Knowing him, it was a definite possibility.

You saw someone with a security badge clipped to their hip pass you by, and an idea hatched in your brain. The person in question was glued to their phone, oblivious to the world around them. They were approaching a locked Citadel door… yes! Quietly, you slipped in the door behind them, pausing to let them go down the hall and out of sight.

…But now what? You glanced at the identical doorways; each one that was assigned had a nameplate on the door. Okay, this was easy. All you had to do was find the one that belonged to Ignis. You were already dressed rather business-like, so at least you didn't stick out.

As you walked down the halls quietly, you remembered something you had read a long time ago. It was something about how if someone acted like they were supposed to be somewhere, most people didn't question their presence. Taking a deep breath, you straightened your posture and tried to look as confident as possible.

You could do this, you could do this-

“Can I _help_ you?”

You _so_ couldn't do this.

The voice wasn't familiar to you, but you could recognize the undertone of ‘get the hell out’ anywhere. Cautiously, you turned to face the man behind you. He was tall; he must have had at least nine or ten inches on you if not more, and the large sword he hefted over his shoulder made it more than apparent that he wasn't even in the vicinity of fucking around.

Well, you hadn't really planned on dying today, but it looked like fate had other plans for you.

“U-uh, hello, sir,” you greeted, not sure what else to say to this bear of a man.

“This is a restricted area,” he said. “If you don't have a badge, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.”

Your heart fell; so much for getting your gift to Ignis. “O-okay. But, uh, before I go?”

“What is it?” The man seemed to have perfected the anxiety-inducing look of ‘I'm waiting’ that many of your teachers back from your school days wore so often.

You swallowed nervously, fidgeting with the wrapped package in your hands. “I-I was wondering if you knew where, uh, Ignis Scientia’s office is?”

At the mention of Ignis, the large man’s expression changed; it softened, just a little. “Maybe I do. You got business with him or something?”

“W-well, not _business_ , per se,” you stammered, plucking nervously at the ribbon you'd spent half an hour curling last night; so much for presentation. “It’s just, I'm an… acquaintance of his, and it is his birthday today and all…”

It was then that the man noticed the carefully wrapped package in your hands. He did something you didn't expect; he threw his head back and laughed.

You were worried and slightly offended at first, but calmed down when the man flashed you a smile. “Iggy, you sly dog,” the man said, grinning. He relaxed, the sword in his hand disappearing in a flash of light (oh shit, this guy was important) as he turned down a hall and motioned for you to follow. “Are you a receptionist, by the way?”

“How did you know that?” you asked, blinking owlishly at him.

The man chuckled, and you couldn't help but feel he found your confusion funny. “Iggy’s been talking about this ‘exceptionally polite receptionist’ he's been talking to lately when he goes to those meetings.” You couldn't help but giggle at the terrible impression the man did of Ignis’s voice when quoting him. “That's you, right?”

“Maybe?” you answered. “I mean I am a receptionist, but…”

“You work the front desk over in the branch he's been at a few times a week, yeah?” You nodded. “Then that's you.”

You stopped short. “And you believe me?” you asked, slightly incredulous. “Just like that?”

The man nodded. “Iggy’s birthday isn't public knowledge. If you're here on the right day, which you are, then he had to have told you. Besides, like I said, he mentioned someone like you.”

You cleared your throat nervously. “Did he, did he uh, say anything else about me, maybe?” Part of you didn't want to know what Ignis thought of you, but another, bigger part of you _really_ did.

The man scratched his stubbly chin. “Uh, that you have good taste in coffee and that you're probably terrified of him?”

“Terrified?”

“His words, not mine.”

 _Did_ you come off as afraid of him? You figured that by now, Ignis would have realized why you were so nervous around him, but was he still completely unaware? Maybe you were safer than you thought.

“I… I'm not afraid of him,” you said. “I uh, I like his company.”

“Sounds like you like a lot more than just his company, or else you wouldn't have committed a misdemeanor to come see him.”

Oh, right; you still weren't supposed to be here. “Am I in trouble, sir?”

The man shook his head. “Nah.” You breathed a sigh of relief. “Your boyfriend would never let me hear the end of it.”

“H-he's not my-”

“But you wish he were.”

You couldn't exactly argue with that. But... who was this guy, anyway? “That's a two way street, though. It doesn't really matter what _I_ think if there's no reciprocation, Mr…”

The man stuck out a hand for you to shake. “Gladiolus Amicitia,” he said, taking your offered hand in a nearly bone-crushing grip. “Call me Gladio.”

You gave him your name as you tried to nurse the feeling back into your poor battered hand.

“Gladio,” you repeated. “What do you do around here besides scare trespassers?”

Gladio chuckled. “A little bit of this, a little bit of that. When I'm not helping the Marshal train new recruits, I'm usually training myself. Prince’s Shield and all.”

Oh. That explained the flashy sword magic.

Why did you have the bad habit of making an ass of yourself in front of important people?

“So you're friends with Ignis, then?” you asked instead; apologies would do you no good at this point.

“Yup. Known him for years. Which reminds me, I don't think this whole thing is as one sided as you think it is.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Iggy came to me a few weeks ago, asked if he came off as scary to the average person. When I asked why he wanted to know, he said he scared a nice receptionist pretty badly and wanted to make up for it,” Gladio explained. “So I asked him how you'd been scared, yeah? Textbook case of lovesickness.”

You scowled, rubbing the back of your neck as a blush creeped over your face. “Nice to know I'm that obvious,” you grumbled.

Gladio laid a hand on your shoulder in what you assumed was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but only served to knock you off balance. “Don't sweat it, kid. Iggy is… well, I think he might be the dumbest smart person I know.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” you asked, feeling yourself get somewhat offended on Ignis’s behalf.

“Easy there,” Gladio said, flashing you a grin. “What I mean is, he wouldn't know interest if it pinned him against a wall and went to town on him. He's oblivious.”

Well, that much you already knew. At least now you knew it was genuine lack of recognition rather than deliberate ignorance, though; that made you feel a little better about this whole thing. But you needed to press for more info. “How so?” you asked.

Gladio took a deep breath, closing his eyes and chuckling to himself at some recalled memory. “Alrighty, don't tell him I told you this or he’ll never let me live it down. Last year, Noct had the brilliant idea to take him out to the bar, yeah? We’re having a great time, shooting the shit. For once, Iggy is actually relaxing. So like an hour in, this girl comes up and buys him a drink, tells him she likes his glasses. You know what he said?”

“What?”

“‘I'm afraid they're not for sale.’ And he was _serious_.” He shook his head, though the grin he sported told you he remembered the situation - and Ignis - fondly.

You snorted; that actually was pretty funny, and endearing as well. “No way.”

“Yes way,” Gladio shot back. “Took him ten minutes to figure out what she’d meant, and by then she was long gone.”

“Poor guy,” you said, though you couldn't help the laughter that escaped you. “How did he not know though? Doesn't he realize that-”

Gladio shook his head. “Nope,” he replied, cutting you off. “Like I said, you'd pretty much have to straight up go at him for him to get it. He ain't much of a hint taker.”

You frowned; you were a lot of things, but forward generally wasn't one of them. “I… I dunno if I can do that. What if he gets mad or something?”

“Ignis is a nice guy. You won't get in trouble unless you do something really crude.”

“I’d never.”

Gladio laughed. “I know that. The fact that you're into Iggy is more than enough proof for me. He tends to attract the responsible type. Guy needs to learn to lighten up for once in his life…”

“Is that why you're helping me?” you asked. The two of you came to a stop outside a door that looked very much like the rest of them, save for the name “Ignis Scientia” engraved on a plaque.

“Yeah. I gotta, since he's not gonna do it for himself.”

You looked over at the door. “Should I go in?”

“Have at it, tiger.”

Blushing, you lifted a shaky hand to the ornate wood and knocked three times.

A moment passed, and then another; no answer.

“That's weird,” Gladio muttered, scratching at his chin. “Can't name a time when he isn't in his damn office. Unless…”

“Unless?”

Gladio pulled his phone out of his pocket and fiddled around with the display. “Oh yeah, that's right. Iggy’s across the city today in a different meeting…”

You frowned. “I have to get back to work…”

“Yeah, that's a problem…” Gladio paused for a moment, probably trying to come up with a solution. “Well, if you hand that over to me, I'll make sure it gets to him.”

“Really?” you asked, perking up slightly.

Gladio chuckled. “After I make sure it's not poisoned or rigged to explode or something. You _are_ still trespassing, you know.”

“Uh, sorry,” you said, paling. You handed the gift over to Gladio, who tested the weight in his hands.

“This a book?” he asked. You nodded. “Lemme guess, cookbook?”

Damn, he was sharp. “Guilty as charged,” you offered, smiling sheepishly.

“Can't go wrong with that.”

“Just, uh… don't tell him it was from me?” you asked.

Gladio raised an eyebrow at you. “Why not?”

You twiddled your thumbs. “I'm not sure he and I are at the gift giving stage yet… I don't want him to think I'm weird.”

“Relax, kid,” Gladio said, clapping you on the shoulder just a little too hard once again. You waited until he wasn't looking to tend to your poor battered self. “I won't tell him, but I know he wouldn't be mad.”

“O-okay,” you replied, hoping he was right. You felt like you could trust Gladio to safely get your gift to Ignis; at least that problem was solved. “I guess I'll just… go?”

You moved to leave, but stopped short as Gladio stepped in your way.

“Not so fast,” he said. Your stomach dropped. What was the matter _this_ time? “I still gotta escort you out, since you're not supposed to be in here.”

Oh, was that it? Phew. “... That's fair,” you relented, breathing a sigh of relief; for now, your criminal record was still spotless.

~

Ignis was only slightly surprised to see Gladio hovering around his office when he arrived back at the Citadel near the end of the day.

“Don't tell me you plan to whisk me away right at the stroke of five?” Ignis asked, taking out his key from his pocket and unlocking the door.

“That's classified,” Gladio said, grinning at his friend.

Ignis sighed. “... Right.”

“Hey, you're the one who refuses to take his birthday off.”

“I see no reason to skimp out on work simply because I am another year older.”

Gladio chucked. “All work and no play makes Iggy a dull boy.”

Ignis shot Gladio a pointed glance and murmured something about his friend watching too many movies before noticing that something about his desk was… different. “What is this?” he asked, picking up the rectangular wrapped package. “Have you been in my office again when I'm not here, Gladio?”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” came Gladio’s gruff reply. Ignis sighed inwardly at this; apparently, Gladio was striving to be as unhelpful as humanly possible today.

“Well, this couldn't be _your_ handiwork. It's much too neat.”

Gladio put a hand to his chest in mock hurt. “I resent that,” he joked.

“Well, if it wasn't you… who could have given me this? And why?”

“... Because it's your birthday?” Gladio offered, raising an eyebrow.

Ignis waved the suggestion away, instead opting to pull away the wrapping paper carefully using a letter opener. He turned the book over in his gloved hands, reading both covers quietly. “This is a clever gift,” he finally commented. “But no note. Do you have any idea who the sender is?”

“... maybe,” was all that Gladio would give.

“You're a terrible liar, Gladio. I know you know; you're one of the few people with a key to my office, and I can hardly envision Noct giving me a book about cooking with _vegetables_.”

Gladio stood over his friend’s shoulder, reading the cover for himself. “Hey, this is pretty cool. Think Noct will fall for it?”

“We shall know in time. But you still haven't answered my question.”

“Dunno what to tell you, Iggy,” Gladio said, shrugging. “I was sworn to secrecy.”

Ignis narrowed his eyes at Gladio. “So you do know.”

Gladio held up his hands in mock surrender. “I give, I give. I know, but I ain't telling you.”

“I hardly find this amusing.”

“Use your brain, smart guy. Who likes you enough to go out of their way on your birthday, other than one of us?”

Ignis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Who indeed? The Marshal was never one for gift-giving, and his uncle would have left a note. The only other person he could think of was…

No, that was ridiculous; you were busy with your own life. There was no reason for you to take time out of your day to come give this to him. Not only that, but you probably would never have gotten past the front desk, what with how security here was.

Besides, weren't you intimidated by him, anyway?

“I haven't the foggiest,” Ignis relented.

“Maybe you've got a secret admirer,” Gladio said, crossing his arms and grinning at his friend.

Ignis rolled his eyes. “Oh come now, let's be realistic, shall we?”

Gladio pressed his face into his palms and sighed deeply. Ignis, engrossed in his paperwork already, was none the wiser.

This was going to be a long birthday.

~

V

You loved the winter, but boy, you _hated_ the rain. How could a place so close to a desert get so much rainfall anyway? You knew it had to do something with the mountains that lay outside the borders of the Crown City, but you were an office worker, not a meteorologist.

In hindsight, you shouldn't have assumed you'd be safe from the rain during your morning walk to your office building; you were _never_ safe from the rain in the winter. It was almost like it _knew_ , too. When you came prepared, the clouds behaved; when you didn't, the sky opened up.

(Much like it was doing right now.)

You were halfway to work and seventy five percent convinced to just give up and go home when life threw you a small mercy in the form of one Ignis Scientia.

While waiting for the walk signal to come, you suddenly noticed that the rain was no longer drumming down on your head. Instead, it pattered softly on the surface of an umbrella someone was holding above your head. You blinked in confusion and looked up, meeting a pair of bright green eyes with your own.

“Ignis!” you exclaimed, jumping slightly. “You startled me.”

Ignis cleared his throat softly. “Apologies; I'm told I walk rather quietly.”

Well, this was just great; not only did you probably look like a drowned rat, you'd made an idiot of yourself in front of Ignis. Again.

The walk signal turned on and you were slightly surprised to see that Ignis followed you across the crosswalk, still holding the umbrella over your head.

“Isn't your work that way?” you asked, pointing off in the direction of the main Citadel building as another realization came to you. “And don't you usually drive to work anyway?”

“My building is indeed over there, but it would be rather rude of me to leave you here in this deluge, no?” he replied. “And my car is in the shop for routine maintenance, so I am forced to make do otherwise.” It was then that you noticed the umbrella he was holding was only large enough to comfortably fit one person; the entire time he'd been holding it over your head, he’d been the one getting soaked instead. He was so considerate… even at his own expense. The gesture made your stomach flip nervously.

You stepped a little closer to him, causing him to bring the umbrella partially over himself in reflex. “I-Ignis… you don't have to let yourself get drenched for my sake. I think it's too late for me anyway.”

“It's of little consequence; this outfit can be dry-cleaned. It would simply not do for you to get sick in this kind of weather.”

“Thanks…” you said, hoping he thought your flushed cheeks were due to the cold. For a moment you continued on in silence, but you felt the urge to fill it with _something_. “Did you, uh, did you like the cookbook?”

Ignis’s eyes widened just a fraction. “So it _was_ you!” he exclaimed.

You turned away, flush biting your cheeks in contrast to the cold wind. “Y-yeah. Sorry.”

“No need for apologies. It was a very clever gift. Noct was none the wiser at dinner the other night,” he said, smirking at the memory. The smirk softened into a genuine smile as he glanced over at you. “Thank you, truly.”

“O-of course,” you said, smiling back at him. A gust of wind ripped through the street, causing you to shiver. “H-here…” You dared to place a freezing hand over his gloved ones, moving the umbrella so that it covered the both of you the best it could. Ignis’s cheeks were flushed, but you had no idea if it was because of the cold, the proximity, or the contact.

(You really hoped it had something to do with you.)

All too soon, you arrived at the entrance to your office building. You glanced up to thank Ignis once more when you stopped short.

The rain had completely soaked Ignis’s hair, causing it to flatten against his forehead in a sharp contrast to the way he usually kept it. He had bangs this way, and they framed his face quite nicely. The water dripping off his face and body certainly didn't detract from his appearance, either.

Gods damn it, was this man destined to be beautiful no matter what he endured?

Ignis called your name softly and said something else as well, causing you to tear your eyes away from a drop of water that was trickling down towards his collarbone. In your momentary stupor, you'd completely missed whatever it was he had just said to you.

“H-huh?”

“I said, it's rude to stare,” he said sternly. He reached a hand up and attempted to put his hair back into its previous shape; no dice.

You blushed once more. “S-sorry,” you replied. “I've just… never seen you with your hair down before.” You took a deep breath, unsure if you should proceed with this train of thought. “It, uh, looks nice.”

Ignis blinked in confusion, a subtle yet unmistakable blush overtaking his features. “Is that so?” he said. For once in his life, he seemed almost at a loss for words. “You flatter me...”

You coughed awkwardly. “W-well, I wouldn't just _lie_ to you, you know…”

“... thank you,” he finally said.

It was then that you realized the both of you were still standing outside in the rain for no good reason.

Well, you supposed you couldn't quite blame yourself; your companion was rather distracting, after all.

~

VI

You ushered Ignis into the lobby with you despite his protests about intruding. Taking the umbrella, you closed it, shook it out, and tossed it over into the umbrella pot the maintenance crew set by the door on days like these.

“I insist,” you said. “At least come inside for a little bit to dry off. They'll understand. Besides, you can take the covered walkway from here to your building.”

Ignis thought for a moment. “You pose a compelling argument.”

“I try,” you replied, laughing softly. The temperature of the lobby was a nice contrast to the storm outside, and you felt like it was warming your heart in addition to your limbs. In this moment, you didn't even care that you were soaked through; you were happy just to be here with Ignis.

You glanced over to him to see him regarding you with a look you'd never seen before. It was deep, almost yearning, and you found yourself getting lost in his eyes. Your heart thudded in your ears, and you felt a sense of sudden urgency; if you didn't do something now, the moment would be lost forever.

“ _Ignis_ ,” you breathed, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“Yes, is something the mat-mmph!” his reply to you was cut off abruptly as you pulled him in by his lapels and finally, _finally_ , pressed your lips to his. This was uncharacteristically brave of you, but you wondered if you'd finally found your courage in the wake of this encounter.

Ignis stiffened initially before slowly relaxing into the kiss. His arms wrapped around your waist as he reciprocated cautiously, the gentle motions causing your heart to leap in excitement. Your dominant hand reached up to tangle in his dripping hair, and in that moment you didn't even care if this was completely counterproductive to drying off. For a moment, there was nothing in the world except you and Ignis.

After what felt like a blissfully long time, you broke apart. You stared into his eyes, faces inches apart from one another. Ignis silently brought a gloved hand up to cup your face gently, and you practically melted into his touch.

“... Hi,” you finally said, unable to think of anything else.

“... _Hello_ ,” Ignis replied with a sly smile, voice slipping down a fraction of an octave. The sound sent a shiver down your spine that you were pretty sure had nothing to do with the cold that still clung to you. “I must say this is an unexpected development.”

You brushed some of Ignis’s bangs out of his face. “It can't be _that_ much of a surprise…”

Ignis closed his eyes for a moment, thinking deeply. “In hindsight, many more things suddenly make sense to me.”

“B-but this is okay, right? You can say no!” you exclaimed, noting with a glimmer of hope that he hadn’t pushed you away yet.

“Yes,” he breathed, pulling you in for another kiss, this one a little bolder. You could almost taste the want in the way he held you close to him, and you couldn't get enough.

Well, you thought, if Ignis wasn't going to be late for work before, he definitely was now.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I spat out that many words. Please let me know what you think in the comments below. I love you all!
> 
> ps: come be my friend. My tumblr is [here](http://antiloquist.tumblr.com).


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